Counselors’ Groups Urge More Funding

Congress should double funding for the Elementary and School Secondary School Counseling Program, bringing it to $75 million in fiscal 2008, the National Association for College Admission Counseling and the American School Counselor Association recommended last week.

NACAC represents more than 20,000 secondary school counselors and college-admissions officers, and the ASCA has about 20,0000 members. Both are based in Alexandria, Va.

The federal counseling program, which helps schools hire and train guidance counselors, has been funded at $34.7 million for five years. President Bush has proposed eliminating the program in fiscal 2008.

Lawmakers should also amend the No Child Left Behind Act to target money toward hiring and training more counselors at schools serving low-income students, and providing counselors and students with college access information, the organizations said at a conference in Washington on March 6.